Toxic Ingredients To Avoid In Your Beauty Products

Beauty is painful.
It’s an old saying, which tells us that the value of beauty in society means
that its attainment will – as things of social value often do – come at a
price. We don’t always know what the price of beauty is. The hard truth? It’s
not all rigorous diets and bikini waxing.

No, there are
other, more sinister costs, especially when it comes to cosmetics. Because what
many of us don’t realize is that the products we slap on our face and body
every day come with ingredients that can cause significant harm to us in the
long-term.

So, I’ve done the
research to help you navigate through some of the well-known toxic ingredients
swimming in your make-up bag.

Parabens

The first and most
common preservative present in a wide range of beauty products, paraben is
included in a reported 85% of cosmetics. While parabens have been used to
prevent the growth of bacteria for decades, they are also xenoestrogens,
meaning that they mimic estrogen in the body.

This has been
linked to reproductive problems, lowered sperm count in men and even breast
cancer. Luckily for us, in recent years the popularity of paraben-free hair and
makeup products has risen considerably.

Fragrance

Also frequently
listed as Perfume or Parfum, these standalone words should serve as a warning
sign in any of your beauty care items. These words are just an indication of
the scent being used in your product, which is important to beauty consumers.

However, in most
countries, the law does not require cosmetic companies to detail the chemicals
used in their “fragrance”. It is entirely synthetic 99% of the time. This also
means that if you try to be diligent about specific chemicals, the presence of
these words could potentially mean over a dozen chemicals you can’t identify.

PEGS

Also known as
Polyethylene Glycol, this family of synthetic chemicals is present in many
scrubs, exfoliators, and body washes. They usually come in the form of tiny
plastic beads.

PEGS are known to
be carcinogenic and can interfere with human development, causing harm to the
immune system. They are also harmful to the environment. PEGS are able to carry
pollutants through our waterways where they can be consumed by marine animals.

Sodium
Lauryl Sulfate

SLS can found in
many beauty products, from makeup to body lotions to hair and face wash. It is
even an ingredient of some toothpaste brands.

Like PEGS, it is a
human carcinogen that can damage the immune system. It has been connected to
skin irritation, canker sores, eye damage and is believed to be the cause of common
acne around the mouth and chin.

BHA

Another widely-used
carcinogen in perfumes and exfoliators, butylated hydroxyanisole can cause skin
disruptions and allergies.

It has also been
linked to the disruption of hormonal and reproductive developments. The EU has
even labeled it unsafe to use in fragrance because of its links to endocrine
disruption.

Mineral
Oils

A common ingredient
in many face products, mineral oils are used to retain moisture in the skin.
Though this is a useful property for moisturizers, lotions, and serums, it can
often cause problems as it creates a film over the skin that clogs pores and
can lead to acne, oil build-ups, and skin irritation.

Oxybenzone

Oxybenzone is the
most toxic ingredient used in sunscreen. Like the chemicals I mentioned before,
it has been linked to hormone disruption, estrogen mimesis, breast cancer, and
even endometriosis.

Unbelievably (given
its presence in UV-resisting products) it is also a photocarcinogen, meaning it
is a substance that can become carcinogenic when exposed to light.

While it can seem
overwhelming to read of so many damaging chemicals present in your everyday
products, there are solutions. Organic beauty products or even just products
made avoiding the aforementioned ingredients are becoming a part of the
mainstream cosmetic industry.

Harm can be
avoided. But just remember that this list is not exhaustive, so you should do
further research into the products you’re interested in buying. When it comes
to your long-term physical health, ignorance certainly isn’t bliss.